


New Beginnings

by Lady_of_Greenwood



Category: Tales of Vesperia
Genre: F/F, M/M, yuri and flynn are dads
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-24
Updated: 2019-02-24
Packaged: 2019-11-04 15:11:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,943
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17900495
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lady_of_Greenwood/pseuds/Lady_of_Greenwood
Summary: So much had already changed. Maybe one more change wouldn't be so bad.





	New Beginnings

By the time they made it to Zaphias, the decision to avoid Halure and it's too small inn going unspoken but understood by all, the sun was already peeking over the edge of the world.

The city, however, was far from asleep.

Apparently celebrating the giant monster in the sky disappearing held more appeal than worrying over the sudden lack of running water and electricity, so the citizens had taken to the streets and thrown an impromptu festival that spanned all quarters at once. Some restaurants had even gone through the effort to put up stands, handing out food for free to anyone who asked.

Yuri had to sidestep more than one drunken noble as he wove his way through the crowd at the head of his small group of world savers and hip checked more than one into the nearest source of water to sober them up.

The smell of food made him nauseas though he was sure Patty would have jumped at the opportunity to eat a skewer or ten had she not been fast asleep with her head resting against his shoulder blade. Her big hat was safely tucked under Flynn's arm and her ruffled braids tickled against Yuri's skin with every step.

The poor thing had fallen asleep on her feet, almost walking straight into a rose bush had Rita not flung out her sash and caught Patty around the waist before it was too late. How exactly Rita had managed to move so fast when Yuri could barely follow the movement of his own feet against the cobblestone was a mystery he didn't have the energy to solve right now.

He was too damn tired. They all were.

Saving the world took a lot out of a person, especially when you had to fight your way through an army of monsters that had taken over the city of an ancient civilization floating over the ruins of a much younger city, while fully aware a crazy strong war hero was waiting for you at the end. And then you had to fight that war hero, simultaneously try to make him see reason and that was before the Fell Arms decided to fuck with you.

Yuri sighed and then yawned, losing his train of thought. Where had he been going with this again? Damn, he was so tired. His brain felt like jelly.

No, his everything felt like jelly. Maybe he was jelly now? Did channelling insane amounts of Mana turn you to jelly? If so, he hoped he wasn't apple flavoured. Pineapple was sweeter. He liked sweets.

“Yuri.” Flynn's voice startled him out of his disjointed thoughts badly enough he almost dropped Patty. She didn't seem to notice, only grumbling something about “scallops” and “sea devils” before falling silent again.

“Huh?” he answered intelligently, looking over Patty's blonde head to where Flynn was standing, pointing at the...oh. He had walked straight past the castle entrance. “Ah.”

Heaving another sigh that turned into a yawn he spun around too fast, stopped for a second so the world could stop spinning too, grabbed Karol by the collar so he wouldn't walk straight past the group as well and led the way up to where Flynn was waiting for them in the open door.

Leblanc and the Tweedles held it open until all nine of them had made it inside and then slowly closed it, their curious eyes boring into Yuri's back so intensely he was surprised Patty hadn't caught fire yet.

Raven broke the exhausted silence with a sound that was half yawn and half groan and all exactly what Yuri was feeling. “I think I'm actually gonna sleep in a bed this time around,” he mumbled, abandoning his affectations of ditzy dumbass in favour of a more Schwann like manner of speaking.

Beside him Rita huffed. “I think the old man broke.”

Yuri wasn't sure where Estelle and Judith got the energy to chuckle from but wherever that was, Yuri didn't have it. He just smiled, adjusted his grip on Patty's legs a little and turned to face the group. If only the room would stop spinning...

“Everyone remember where their guest room was?” he asked, somehow sounding far more put together than he felt.

“Oh!” Estelle gasped as the others nodded, looking absolutely crestfallen. “I don't remember!”

Judith put a comforting hand on her shoulder. “Estelle, you live here,” she said, squeezing gently.

Estelle flushed an interesting shade of red that contrasted horribly with her pink her. “Oh,” she said again. “Yes, of course.”

Karol yawned so loud he almost fell over.

Yuri shook his head to clear out the cobwebs. “I think that's our cue,” he said. “Everyone, off to bed. I don't want to see any of you up before lunch. Now shoo.”

No one complained about his tone, not even perpetually grumpy Rita who just grabbed the hem of Estelle's dress and let herself be pulled along. Judith waved rather gracelessly and trudged off with Karol who pulled a groaning Raven along. Raven for his part attempted to swat Repede away, not realizing the dog was the only thing that was keeping him from running into a wall.

Yuri watched them go, shaking his head fondly, before he took another hallway that would lead him straight to Patty's designated guest room. He wasn't surprised to feel Flynn fall into step beside him, hovering close in case Yuri needed help with their little pirate queen.

The help was appreciated when they finally arrived at Patty's room. Flynn opened the door for them, put Patty's hat down on the dresser and pulled back the covers, helping to carefully lower her onto the mattress. She didn't move once as Yuri tugged off her boots and removed her gear and only gave any indication of life when Flynn tucked her in. She murmured contently, snuggling into her pillow, and dreamed on, oblivious.

Yuri sighed and stretched his back. Small as she was, she was practically made of muscles and thus much heavier than she appeared. He was gonna have a crick in his neck tomorrow...later...whatever.

But at least that was one down. Only a few more to go.

“You can go ahead,” he said when he closed the door, keeping his voice low just in case. “I'm gonna check on the others too.”

Flynn chuckled. “I figured as much,” he said, some emotion dancing in his eyes that made Yuri's throat burn. “I'll come with you.”

He shrugged, looking away. “Suit yourself.”

Next up was Karol and Yuri thanked the high heavens his room was an empty knight room like Patty's and thus as single. He could already hear the kid sawing logs a few doors away and when he stepped inside Karol lay spread eagle on top of the covers, legs dangling over the edge and mouth open so wide a bit of saliva had already made its way down his cheek.

Yuri shook his head fondly. “Sheesh,” he mumbled, feeling more than hearing Flynn's laughter beside him.

Karol, despite being younger – in more ways than one – than Patty, was both bigger and heavier than her, so Yuri was silently grateful Flynn had decided to come along. Otherwise he would have probably dropped the poor kid on his head trying to shift him under the blanket, though that might have done quick work of the horrible snoring.

At least Karol had managed to store away his weapon and gear before falling into his light coma, which couldn't be said of Judith, who had landed face down on her own bed and stayed there.

She had apparently decided getting ready for bed was too much effort and simply dropped her spear by the door, effectively setting a trap Yuri would have broke his neck on had Flynn not caught his arm.

What a way to go that would have been, surviving an abomination of global size only to whack his head on a dresser because Judith couldn't be bothered to put her weapon into a damn corner.

Yuri thrust the weapon at Flynn, who was hovering uncomfortably in the doorway because...girl, and made quick work of Judith's shoes and the knife on her thigh. He also pulled the pins out of her hair, knowing full well how badly her scalp would hurt upon waking if he left them in. First hand experience. He still blamed Flynn for that one.

Raven had somehow managed to wrap himself so tightly into his blanket Yuri wasn't even sure the old man was breathing any more but at least he had removed his shoes before doing so so Yuri simply gathered up the scattered bow and knife and put them on the dresser before leaving again. He wanted to be far away by the time Raven started snoring too. Karol may be loud but Raven always sounded like he was chocking on something and it was beyond annoying on a good day.

Repede, who had at some point rejoined them, though Yuri had absolutely no idea when that was, snorted at the closed door, his eye critical. “I feel ya, buddy,” Yuri said, patting his head.

Flynn nodded slowly. “Agreed.”

Not quite up for banter Yuri simply threw Flynn a teasing look, relying on that something between them that made conversation without words so easy to translate his meaning.

Flynn stuck out his tongue. “I'm off duty, I can say whatever I want right now.”

“Very mature, Commandant,” Yuri said, rolling his eyes. They were walking. When had that happened?

Flynn winced. “Why does it sound like an insult when you say that?”

“Dunno, maybe because it is?”

“I could have you thrown in jail for that.”

“But you wouldn't do that.”

“Are you sure?”

He was but instead of saying so he just smirked, elbowing Flynn lightly. The clang of elbow against armour echoed through the empty halls before settling into silence.

It felt good, being stupid like this. Without the threat of the apocalypse hanging over their heads, without a friend that needed saving and hordes of monsters hounding their steps. Even when he was this bone-tired, he felt strangely light having Flynn by his side, steps unhurried, voice light and joking.

When was the last time they had just...been? He couldn't even really remember. The soft looks Flynn shot him when he thought Yuri wasn't looking were proof enough that he felt it too. That peace settling in.

Before he realized how far they had walked they arrived at Estelle's room, the white door as out of place as the first time he was here. He opened it as quietly as he could, not surprised to find Estelle and Rita curled up into a ball, so close one half of the bed was empty.

“Huh,” Flynn murmured. “That's new...”

“Nah, Ristelle being Ristelle,” Yuri said with a shrug, sending Flynn over to Rita's side so he could relieve her of the heavy tome wedged between her hip and the mattress. Estelle had somehow managed to fall asleep on top of her boots, while Rita's goggles had slipped half over her face. Untangling the girls to get their gear off was almost as complicated as wrestling an eggbear, simply because they both refused to let go even in their sleep. In the end they had to leave the now useless bodhi blastia where they were or risk waking them. And Yuri was not in the mood to be fire balled again.

A big pile of small objects Yuri was too tired to identify had formed on the desk, all pulled from the too many pockets of Rita's clothes.

Flynn disappeared down the hall for a second, signalling Yuri to wait, and returned with a spare blanket from what was probably a supply closet. Together they spread it over princess and mage, tucking them in until only tufts of pink and auburn hair were left visible.

Repede curled up at the foot of the bed, yawning widely, and pointedly closed his eye. How, Yuri didn't know, but he had a feeling Repede was telling them to get lost and so they did.

Or rather, they tried to. As soon as Yuri pulled the door closed behind them, something changed. Not the hall, it was as quiet as before, nothing quite so obvious. It was more as if the air itself had suddenly shifted and it left Yuri reeling.

It was hard to look at Flynn, but even harder to move away. The last time this had happened Yuri had been twelve, soaking wet from a fall into the fountain, and had just been punched in the gut by the realization that he had fallen in love with his best friend somewhere along the way.

Except now he was nine years older, several brushes with death and one staved off apocalypse wiser and on better terms with Flynn than ever before. So why was it so hard to just be normal right now?

Yuri would have liked to ram his head against the wall until he passed out but Flynn was right there and probably not tired enough to let that one go. He would have to be dead to let it go and even then Yuri wasn't sure he would.

He sighed at the same time Flynn did and the tension popped like a soap bubble, falling away with snorts of laughter and shaking heads. They both _knew_ , had known for years what they could never say, so why were they getting all worked up over this?

“This is dumb,” Yuri said, still grinning. Flynn was smiling as well, eyes glowing. Yuri had heard the girls in the lower quarter compare them to the sky before but that was ridiculous. The sky paled in comparison.

“We are dumb, you mean,” Flynn said, running a hand through his hair.

Yuri snorted. “That too, yeah.”

They had known. For years. It had always been an unspoken but open secret.

And still Yuri hesitated when Flynn held out his hand, a hopeful and encouraging glint in his eyes.

So much had changed in so short a time. Not just the empire and the world as a whole, but they had as well. Since Mantaic, Nordopolica, Aurnion...especially Aurnion.

Their duel had been the first time in ages they had both been completely honest, with each other and themselves. As Flynn had put it, something was different now than it had been before. Something inexplicable, but also so very obvious.

They were different, as much as Yuri refused to admit he had changed. There was no way someone could make the journey he had and not come out the other side a different person.

Yuri and Flynn both had...matured in a way, but also found that spark again they had lost when their friendship had taken a bad turn. They were more now, individually and as a unit.

It was strange, but also familiar. Yuri took a deep breath, eyes glued to the hand Flynn still offered. Patient. Hopeful.

So much had already changed. Maybe one more change wouldn't be so bad.

He had barely finished the thought before his hand moved, fitting palm against palm, fingers weaving together. A shiver ran through Flynn, so soft it was invisible to the naked eye but Yuri could feel it reverberating through him and into his own skin.

He let Flynn tug him closer until their sides brushed, and was hit by the realization that they hadn't really touched in years and how much he'd starved for it.

Just as he'd starved for this first kiss.

 

* * *

 

Flynn moved without thought, letting instinct guide him the way it always did when Yuri was involved, as he finally brushed their lips together after wanting it for so long.

It was not like the flowery novels Lady Estellise so loved, there were no metaphorical fireworks, no sudden wave of emotion. It was nothing so grand that poets would continue to speak of it for centuries to come.

Instead it was like the final piece of an intricate puzzle finally slipping seamlessly into place, the last stroke of a brush that gave the whole painting meaning...it was a conclusion and a beginning all at once, taking something that had always been good, what they had been for so long, and made it better.

Flynn knew that this wouldn't change them any more than their struggles already had. These unspoken feelings between them had always been there, boiling underneath the surface, but they had not been all they shared.

Theirs was a friendship built on trust, respect, understanding, of almost an entire life of shared hardships and happiness. This would not change that.

When he finally pulled away the world was unchanged and yet completely new, because Yuri's smile was finally free and soft the way it was whenever he thought no one was watching. But now Flynn was watching and still Yuri didn't hide, his storm cloud eyes bright with emotions that made Flynn's heart trip.

Yuri's fingers squeezed Flynn's, the other hand rose to brush blond hair away from blue eyes.

No, this wouldn't change them. They had just cast off the hesitation that had bound them for so long and were finally free to be what they should have been for years.

Together.

A wide yawn from Yuri lightened the mood, but did not break it, and Flynn chuckled fondly, rubbing his thumb lightly over Yuri's knuckles.

“Let's get some rest,” he said gently. “We can talk more tomorrow.”

Yuri nodded, letting himself be guided along the marble floors to Flynn's room. “Sounds good.”

 

 


End file.
